Stringed musical instrument



April 28, 1931.

R. DOPYERA STRINGED MUSICAL AINSTRUMENT Filed Feb, 2l, 1928 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES RUDOLPH DOPYERA, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed February 21, 1928. Serial No. 255,959.

My invention relates to stringed musical instruments, and more particularly to musical instruments of the string type, such as banjo, guitar and the like.

Among the salient objects of my invention is to provide an improved constructien and arrangement of the body thereof where by increasedresonanoe is secured and whereby an additional resonator can be added to the body, if a more elaborate instrument is desired. l

I have also provided certain improvements in the general construction and arrangement of the neck and its connections to the body for the purpose of adjustmentsand increased strength, without diminishing the resonance to be had from the body thereof.

In order to explain my invention, I have embodied it in a banjo and present the accompanying sheet of drawings showing a preferred form of the invention for banjo construction. YIn the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a banjo, with parts broken away, showing one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical sectional view through a portion or the body, and taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, similar sectional'view through the body as shown in Fig. 2, but with the outer resonator omitted and amodified bottom substituted for that shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the neck, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the panel design for the outside, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the body of my instrument comprises a shell 10, here shown to be a twelve sided member, with its upper edge inset to lform a shoulder 11, with boss members 12, formed on the under side of said shoulder, at intervals, to receive screws 13, operating through a hoop memberl 14, which is formed with a shoulder 14 on its inner, under side, to overlie a small hoop 50 15, around which the edge of the head 16 is wrapped, whereby said head 16 can be made taut by turning said screws 13, said head stretching over the upper edge of said shell 10;

Supported inside of said shell 10, by means of vertical, radially disposed webs 17, is an inner annular shell or member 18, having at its inner upper side an angular inner portion 19, said member 18 and portion 19, underlying said head 15 at their upper edges, as will be clear from Fig. 2, showing these portions in enlarged sectional view. The angle portion of said member 19, is provided with a series of rectangular openings 19. The shell or body member 10, is provided with a series of struck-in openings, as 10', and also with an inner, annular boss 10a, for a purpose hereinafter again referred to.

Across the inside of said shell or body member 10, is a bar or member 20, with a threaded adjustment screw 2l, in its middle portion.

Around the outside of said shell 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is placed what I will call a resonator 22, here shown to be a twelve sided member with the panels .,3, in each side, and with an angle member 24 secured as by welding` around the inner upper edge thereof, and positioned to surround the hoop member 14, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2. The .lower edge of said reso nator is provided with a bottom 25, welded or otherwise secured thereto around the edge, as at 25, said bottom underlying the lower edge of the shell or member 10, and having its center bulged inwardly, as at 25a, and held against the cross bar 20, by means of the screw 21, as will clear from Fig. 2. The angle member 24, around the upper edge of said resonator, is provided with a series of openings, 24', shown of triangular form.

When the resonator 22 is not used, I have provided a bottom member 26, having an upturned edge 26 around its outer edge and adapted to fit within the shell 10, and rest against the underside of the boss 10a, as shown in Fig. 3, where the resonator is omitted. Said bottom member 26 is inwardly bulged and secured to the cross bar 20, by the same screw 21, as will be clear.

I will now describe the neck, designated as a whole by 27, and consisting of an L-shapecl member of wood, designated 28, having cut in its upper face slits to receive a metal channel member 29, and a rod 30, as seen in Fig. 4, extending throughout the greater portion of the length of said neck. Said metal channel member 29, is secured to an end plate 31, at the base of the L-shaped wooden portion of said neck l27, as will be seen in Fig. 5, and through this end plate 31, the h-ead 30 of the rod 8O is seated, the other end of said rod 30, being screwed into a solid 'portion 29 of said channel member 29. The L-shaped wooden portion of the neck 28, has 'an inset bar 32, into which a transverse screw 83, screws from the plate 31, and from the inside of the shell member 10. Spacing and strengthening webs, as 84, are placed radially between member 10 and member 18, at the place of attaching the neck, as seen in Fig. 5. A bolt 35 is shown screwed through members 18, 10 and into the end plate `31. The member 18, at this position, has an eX- tension 18, as' will be seen in Fig. '2, extending downwardly to receive said bolt 35. Two circumferentially spaced adjustment 'or bearing screws, 36 and 37, are set through the member 18 and the shell 10, with their inner ends bearing against the face 'of the end plate 31, and at the lower `edge of said member orshell 10, a `third screw 88, is placed, bearing at its inner end against said end plate 31. These screws 36 vand 37 vand 38,can be manipulated for raising vor lowering the outer end of the neck 28, whereby to regulate the alinement of said neck, yand they also hold said neck and end pla-te 31, out of engagement with the shell 10.

The strings S are attached in the :usual manner te a tail piece '39, and extend vover the usual bridge, 40, and to the keys 4-1.

Thus I have provided a head or body having 'a plurality of concentric shells vor body members bearing against the underside Of the hide head 16, said bearing members being designate-'d 10, 18 and 19, spaced apart and designed to Lgive increased resonance to the instrument; I have also provided the outer resonator, 22, which `lcan be used in the manner indicated, when desired to produce a more elaborate instrument, 'or it ycan be omitted and the bottom member 26 applied, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

I have 'also provided an improved neck construction and arrangement wherein the neck'is attached, but held in 'slightly spaced relationship to the body member `10, with ladjustment screws for alining it and regulating its tension and rigidity. Y j

I have also provided a body member of angular form, shown as a twelve sided body, which 'increases the tension .and more firmly holds thehid'e head 16, stretched over the angles and held by the :hoo-ps (14 and 15, in

1 the manner described.

I am aware that changes in details can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, as here shown for descriptive purposes, and I do not limit the invention to the showing made, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a stringed musical instrument of the character referred to, a body having three iiXedly connected, concentrically positioned and spaced members, and a stretched head bearing upon the upper edges of said spaced members.

j 2. In a stringed musical instrument of the character referred to, a body having three iiXedly connected, concentrically positioned and spaced members of angular form, and a stretched head bearing upon the upper edges of said spaced members.

3. In a stringed musical instrument of the l character referred to, a body having three fixedly connected, concentrically positioned and spaced members, a stretched head bearing upon the upper edges of said spaced members, Yand an outer, surrounding resonator of metal with bottom underlying and fitting into said resonator and said concentrically positioned and spaced body members.

4. A body for stringed musical instrument having a plurality of permanently and rigidly connected and concentrically positioned and spaced ring members, a stretched head over said members and bearing upon the edges thereof, an outer surrounding resonator body Yof plural sides, the sides of which meet at obtuse angles, said resonator being held in spaced relationship to said body, and a bottom for said resonator having an upturned flange fitting into said resonator under said body.

5. In a stringed musical instrument, la body having three concentrically spaced ixedly connected ring members, a head stretched over the top edges of said members and bearing thereupon, a neck adj ustably attached to vsaid body and means for holding the base of said neck slightly spaced from said body, said means being adapted to be manipulated to adjust said neck vertically and laterally as to alinement relative to said body when said body is in a horizontal position.

6. A stringed musical instrument of the character shown and comprising a body made of three concentrical'l'y spaced metal meme bers with fixed permanent connecting portions, a flexible head stretched over the Aedges of `said spaced members and bearing upon the edges of-all of said members, a neck adjustably secured to said body, said neck having an inset metal member of angular form in cross section and 'a tension rod set in said neck longitudinal-ly thereof, and means for adjusting said neck relative to said body.

7'. A stringed musical instrument having plural body members concentrically lspaced and fixedly supported with radially disposed web members secured thereto, a flexible head stretched over the edges of said members and vbearing upon all of them, and a neck adjustably secured to said body, and inset Imetal means, longitudinally of said neck, for holding and adjusting the same.

8. In a stringed musical instrument, a body, a head stretched over said body, a bottom inwardly bulged in its center telescoping into the open bottom of said body around its edge, a cross member within said body, means attaching said inwardly bulged portion of said body to said cross member, said means being adjustable, and a neck adjustably attached to said body.

9. In a stringed musical instrument, a body having plural members concentrica-lly spaced one within the other, a head stretched over said members and bearing upon the edges of all of said members, a cross member within said members, a bottom inwardly bulged in its center telescoping into the open bottom of said body around its edge, screw means attaching said center to said cross member, and a neck adjustably secured to said body.

l0. In a stringed musical instrument, a body, a head stretched over said body, an outer surrounding resonator around the outside of said body and spaced therefrom, a bottom for said resonator having a flange telescoping thereinto and underlying said body and having its central portion bulged inwardly, a cross member within said body, means attaching said central bulged portion of said body to said cross member, and a neck secured to one side of said body.

1l. In a stringed musical instrument, a body made up of a plurality of concentrically arranged members, spaced one within the other with fixed supporting means therebetween, a head stretched over said members and bearing upon the edges of all of said members, a cross member within said body, a bottom underlying said'members and having an annular flange telescoping into the bottom edge of the outer of said members and having its central portion bulged inwardly to said cross member, means adjustably securing said central portion to said cross member, and a neck secured to one side of said body.

12. In a stringed musical instrument, a body made up of a plurality of concentrically arranged members, spaced one within the other with fixed supporting means therebetween, a head stretched over said members and bearing upon the edges thereof, a cross member within said body, an outer resonator surrounding the outer side of said body and spaced therefrom, a bottom for said resonator and said body, said bottom having an annular flange telescoping into said resonator and having its central portion bulged inwardly, means connecting said central portion to said cross member, andra neck secured to one side of said body.

13. In a stringed musical instrument, a body made up ofy a plurality of concentrically arranged members, spaced one within the other with permanent and fixed supporting means therebetween, some of said members haring straight sides with angles joints, a head stretched over said members and bearing upon the edges thereof, a cross member within said body, a bottom for said body having an annular ange telescoping thereinto, said bottom having its central portion bulged inwardly, means connecting its central portion to said cross member, and a neck attac-hed to one side of said body, said neck having inset metal means, longitudinally thereof, for keeping it in alinement.

14. In a stringed musical instrument,in combination, a body, a head stretched over. said body, a cross member in said body, a neck adjustably attached to one side of said body, said neck having inset longitudinally thereof a metal member of angular form in cross section and a rod in and connected at its outer end with the outer end of said metal member, said metal member and said rod being connected with the attached end of said neck, an end plate for the attached end of said neck with which said metal member and said rod connect, means spacing said end plate from said body, and means holding said neck and said end plate in fixed relationship with said body.

15. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a body, a head stretched over said body, a cross member in said body, a neck adjustably attached to one side of said body, said neck having inset longitudinally thereof a metal member of angular form in cross section, a rod set longitudinally in said neck, an end plate at the attached end of said neck, within said metal member and connected at its outer end thereto, said metal member and said rod being connected with said end plate, a bolt securing said end plate and neck to said body, and adjustment screws in said body and bearing against said end plate to keep said end plate spaced from said body and to regulate the alinement of said neck.

16. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination with its body, a neck formed of wood and having a metal member of angular form in cross section inset therein and extending longitudinally thereof, said metal member terminating in an end plate at the attached end of said neck, an adjustment rod extended under said metal inset member and connected thereto at its opposite ends, a bolt securing said end plate and said neck to said body, and adjustment screws in said body and bearing against the end plate at opposite sides of said bolt for spacing said end plate from said body and .for alining said neck, substantially in the manner described.-

17. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination With its body, a neck formed of ,V Woodand having va metalmember set therein y and extending longitudinally thereof, said metal member. terminatingr in an end plate at the attached end ofsaid neck, a rod inset longitudinally of said neck and attached at one end to said metal member and at its other end in said end plate, a bolt attaching said end plate and said neck to said body, slightly spaced therefrom, set screws through said body with their` ends bearing against said end plate above and below said vbolt and at opposite sides thereof for holding said end plate spaced from said body While held by said bolt,and for adjusting said neck for alinement, substantially as described.

Signed at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 16th day of February,

RUDOLPH DOPYERA. 

